Port Macquarie Community Gardens

Visit The Lost Plot, Central Road, Port Macquarie

Located in Central Rd, Port Macquarie.

Welcome to the lost plot!

The Lost Plot is Port Macquarie’s Community Garden. It is a constantly evolving community space open to anyone regardless of age and ability. It is a place where people can come together to grow and learn about growing food, to connect to like-minded people, to share knowledge and skills and most importantly, to have fun.

After much anticipation and planning, The Lost Plot became operational in April 2014, when Costa Georgiadis (from Gardening Australia) launched it to a crowd of more than 800 people. Initiated by Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, the community garden is now entirely managed by volunteers through Port Macquarie Community Gardens Inc. The Garden is envisaged to grow into a vibrant space that provides opportunity far broader than the gardening itself. It is a place for learning, celebration, growth, reflection, arts and creativity; through workshops, community events, festivals and various projects.

why get involved?

Becoming involved in Community gardening has many benefits. It is an opportunity to connect to your community and make new friendships, while learning about growing fresh fruit and vegetables, decreasing you food costs, and being inspired to live a healthier lifestyle. At The Lost Plot, there are frequent opportunities to develop new skills, be involved in creating artworks, or participate in community celebrations. Gardening is also a wonderful way to exercise, enjoy the outdoors, and alleviate stress.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

At The Lost Plot, food is organically grown under permaculture principles. Diversity is key to healthy plants and soils, and we grow a range of crops in a developing rotation system. There are regular working bees where people are encouraged to participate, learn new skills and/or share their knowledge. We encourage our ‘bees’ to become members for a small annual fee, and in return, members are welcome to share in the harvest of the garden. At each working bee ready-to-pick produce is harvested and divided amongst those present. We request that the relationship between the member and the garden remains one of give, as well as take. Often members bring excess produce or saved-seeds from their own gardens to swap or share, and there is never a shortage of tea, coffee, or delicious treats for morning tea.

Port Macquarie Community Gardens is a not-for-profit organisation and all funds raised through membership are fed back into the management of the garden.

JOIn the team!

You can also find us on Facebook! We update this page regularly with news, photos, and breaking news, such as "Workshop Cancelled due to Rain!" or "We need lots of helpers this weekend!" so it is definitely worthwhile following our page.

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Meet the team!

Here we will introduce you to the committee members of The Lost Plot. However we must at this point mention that while the committee are a hard-working bunch of active members, they are not the only ones. We have many non-committee or ex-committee members who contribute to the garden, and we value them greatly.

President: Ali Bigg

Reason for Involvement: I have been passionate about the benefits of gardening together and creating awesome community spaces for a long time. It was lovely to have the opportunity to be involved from the go-get in making that happen.Favourite Part of the Garden: The growing of food, along with sharing food, stories and laughter.Favourite Recipe: Changes all the time, but for now, simple is good: Mashed sweet potato with baby spinach and egg.

Vice-President & public officer: STEVE LoCKHART

Reason for Involvement: I see my roles in the Community Garden as strategic, organisational and networking.Favourite Part of the Garden: The people who come out to be part of what is happening.Favourite Tool in the Shed: I love wheelbarrows! Because when my three daughters were little, they would always jump in for a ride on my backloads when working in the garden. Such fond memories!Favourite Recipe: One I haven't tried before.

Treasurer: Robyn payne

Secretary: Leonie short

Reason for Involvement: I love gardening and love the idea of community gardens. The community garden's philosophy of sustainable living and community connectedness is so important. I feel is helps us in regaining a balance in our lives from the fast-paced and high-tech world in which we live.

Favourite Part of the Garden: Growing food, learning how to build up soils, making compost, watching plants grow, sharing ideas and a cup of tea in the garden with like minded friendly people.

Favourite Tool in the Shed: hand held hoe......weeding is a great form of meditation

Favourite Recipe: anything with freshly picked vegetables from the garden

garden management: Graeme Evans

Membership Administration: Ann-Kathrin Kiehn

Reason for Involvement: I am passionate about growing clean healthy food. We live in a world where Mother Earth is under intense pressure from chemical giants. I want to know what is in theproduce I consume. Apart from being healthier, it genuinely tastes better too. And to be around likeminded people.Favourite Part of the Garden: It will be where I am amongst friends, the birds and the bees andthe gentle breeze amongst the gum trees...with a koala or two. We are so lucky.Favourite Tool in the Shed: A little trowel for planting seedlings. I love the moment they getplanted out :-)Favourite recipe: I am loving to explore making dips with the myriad of greens from the garden.A favourite right now is kale, greek basil, lemon and cashews as well as fresh beetroot and feta dip.

Membership Engagement: Leonie Short

Reason for Involvement: I love gardening and love the idea of community gardens. The community garden's philosophy of sustainable living and community connectedness is so important. I feel is helps us in regaining a balance in our lives from the fast-paced and high-tech world in which we live.

Favourite Part of the Garden: Growing food, learning how to build up soils, making compost, watching plants grow, sharing ideas and a cup of tea in the garden with like minded friendly people.

Favourite Tool in the Shed: hand held hoe......weeding is a great form of meditation

Favourite Recipe: anything with freshly picked vegetables from the garden

Events Management: Denis Juelicher

Reason for Involvement: When I moved to Port Macquarie more than 10 years ago, I felt there was no place I could go to meet like-minded people. Some of my key passions are nature, sustainable living, community – community gardening embraces all of those. When I joined the group of people that created The Lost Plot, I was excited about being part of a team that would create a hub for growing food organically, for educating people about how they can grow food, live more sustainably and embrace life naturally and with kindness for themselves and others. The Lost Plot is growing into these spaces and has attracted and continues to attract people in our community that share similar values and enjoy the garden as a place of learning, exercise, social interaction, fun and more.

Favourite Aspect of the Garden: I love the garden as a place of inspiration and learning. Almost every time I participate in a working bee I learn something of value to my own gardening at home. In the past couple of years I’ve learned so much about how to look after my soil & the plants that grow in it. I’ve also made some great friends in the process.

Favourite Event: We love events at The Lost Plot and I reckon we do them pretty well. As the garden matures, our capacity to offer a broad variety of events increases. We’ve had skill shares, member’s meetings, Spring Fairs, Family Days, workshops and more. They are all great because they attract people beyond our regular members to the garden and are a fantastic opportunity to inspire others to grow food organically and live sustainably. One of my favourite events was held in 2014, when we specifically invited community members with a disability into the garden to open pathways for regular attendance and visits to the garden. On the day we planted a bed of potatoes, watered the garden and created some mini-succulent gardens to take home. Everyone had such a great time! The enthusiasm was contagious!

Communications: Stephanie Elsum

Reason for Involvement: I joined the garden when I first moved to Port Macquarie and had a bit of spare time on my hands. I was also keen to meet some new people. I've become more and more involved because I love the garden and the people, and I am so grateful for all the knowledge and skills I have gained to help me in my own garden at home. Now I have a little boy, I often bring him to the garden on a Thursday morning. He has just hit 8 months and is enjoying playing in the dirt!

Favourite Part of the Garden: The basil plot! It has made for many delicious pestos.

Favourite tool in the shed: I'd have to say the crowbar, or the mattock. I love getting physical in the garden! However now with my little boy, I seem to be using a little trowel more than anything else.

General Committee: Jacqui Murray

Reason for Involvement: I wanted to meet local people who value their environment and love gardening as much as I do.

Favourite Part of the Garden: Community events at the garden, sharing seeds and produce.

Favourite Recipe: Green lentil and vegetable soup.

General Committee: SyBIL juzwiak-doyle

Reason for Involvement: I am very enthusiastic about living in a sustainable way and see the garden as an awareness platform for the wider community. I find it very satisfying to have meals from the garden to the plate and have learned so much already since joining this fantastic initiative...and still have so much to learn! Favourite Part of the Garden: The natural shade of the gumtrees.Favourite Recipe: Raw Cashew Apple Salad.

General Committee: Trudie Franklin

Reason for Involvement: I joined the garden because I enjoy the outdoors and being in the garden. I am passionate about the environment and biodiversity and want to promote sustainable practices and local living. Also to learn, grow and be amongst like-minded people.Favourite Part of the Garden: Sensory Garden - in development! Being able to see, touch, feel and smell the plants in this part of the garden.Favourite Recipe: I have a bit of a sweet tooth, Protein Balls!

Our History....

The Port Macquarie Community Gardens began with the support of Port Macquarie Hastings Council. We also received support from many individuals and local businesses, and we continue to acknowledge these contributors with much grattitude. They were whom allowed us to 'get off the ground' (although we are very much an 'on the ground' organisation'!)

Coming soon to the website will be some before and after photos, in an expanded section on the 'History of The Lost plot'.